


Recipe for Disaster

by ByTheAngell (SomeLittleInfamy)



Series: Flufftober 2019 [19]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Bad Cooking, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-19
Updated: 2019-10-19
Packaged: 2020-12-24 09:53:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21097517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomeLittleInfamy/pseuds/ByTheAngell
Summary: Izzy turns up to help Raphael when half his volunteers call out sick... it's just unfortunate that her cooking is almost worse than no cooking at all, and he doesn't have the heart to tell her.





	Recipe for Disaster

**Author's Note:**

> Day 19: Cooking.
> 
> (Human AU based on show!Raphael, who is asexual but with undefined romantic alignment)

“Surprise!” 

Raphael hears the sound of Isabelle’s voice before he sees her, and immediately tenses. He takes a second to control the immediate concern that crosses his face into a trained smile, and only then turns around to face her. 

“Isabelle! To what do I owe the pleasure?” He asks curiously. 

“Well,” she starts. “I know you’ve been stressed lately, and I was talking to Rosa, and she told me about how short staffed you are in the kitchen this week. Why didn’t you say something?” 

Raphael silently curses his sister. 

“Because it isn’t a big deal. I’m managing everything just fine and I didn’t want to worry you,” he says, which isn’t entirely a lie. But the real reason he didn’t tell her is because of what Izzy does next, which is what Raphael  _ knew _ she would do and was doing everything in his power to avoid. 

“Well, no need for anyone to worry, because I’m here to help!” Izzy declares, already making her way back to the kitchen. “Plus, I can make that new stew I made last week that you loved so much!” 

“Oh,” Raphael says, his face falling significantly.    
  
“What? Is something wrong?” Izzy asks, too perceptive for her own good and catching his sudden shift before he even noticed it. 

“No, it’s just- that really isn’t necessary, Isabelle. Not to mention the fact that we’re short staffed because there’s a bit of flu going around, and I wouldn’t want you to catch it,” he tries, and though it should be obvious how desperate he is to keep her out of that kitchen Izzy doesn’t seem to notice as she leans in and gives him a quick kiss on the cheek. 

“Now who’s the one worrying too much?” she laughs. “I’m no more likely to catch it here than I am on the street or in a cafe somewhere. I’ll be fine.” She’s already putting on a hair net and gloves and he knows there’s no stopping her. 

“It isn’t you I’m concerned about now…” Raphael mutters to himself. 

“What was that?” Izzy asks distractedly. 

“Nothing, my dear,” he says quickly, trying not to cringe at the sight of her starting to cook. Raphael offers to help but she shoos him away no matter how much he insists. He knows he should just tell her the truth and send her back home but she’s so eager to help and spend some extra time with him that he can’t bring himself to do it. Plus, he really does need the second set of hands - with everything else he still has to do before opening he doesn’t have time to be cooking, too. 

“Want me to come out and help serve?” Izzy asks just before opening.

“No,” Raphael insists, and he answers a bit too fast to be casual Izzy doesn’t seem to notice. “What I mean is, I’m fine up there. Just… wait back here for now and I’ll let you know if I need any help.” 

“I wonder if anyone remembers me from last time I was here,” Izzy muses, and Raphael gives a small huff of a laugh remembering the last time Izzy volunteered. 

“Oh, I’m certain they do,” he reassures her, though that fact is anything but reassuring to him and the main reason he's keeping her behind the scenes. 

When they open an hour later and the first round of regulars come through the line for food Raphael waits off to the side, watching. It takes approximately 5 minutes before someone approaches him. 

“You let her back in the kitchen, didn’t you?” A dark-haired woman demands. 

Raphael sighs. “Almost all of the volunteers are out sick and I needed the help-” 

“This isn’t helping! This is inedible, and you promised after the last time that you’d never let her cook again.” 

“I know. It’s just for one day. I promise tomorrow will be back to normal.” 

For a second he’s hopeful that might be good enough, but it turns out that he got his hopes up too soon. 

“No. I’m sorry Raphael, she’s a lovely girl but you have to tell her.” 

“Tell me what?” Izzy’s voice sounds from behind him, and Raphael nearly jumps at it. 

“Nothing. Everything’s fine,” Raphael lies, earning him a very unimpressed look from the old woman in front of him. 

“...why isn’t anyone eating?” Izzy asks, looking at the tables where plates and bowls are all left mostly untouched.

“Maybe they just aren’t that hungry…” Raphael starts, but at the glare he receives at that one he knows he can’t keep this up. “...or maybe there’s the slightest possibility that your cooking is… not great.” 

“What?” Izzy frowns. “But you eat it all the time!” 

The old woman laughs. “Oh, you poor thing. You must really love her don’t you?” 

Raphael flushes. “I-” 

Just then a newer arrival takes one bite of the food, frowns, and tips the rest directly into the trash can next to him. 

“Oh my god,” Izzy breathes out, attention turning from the people around them back to Raphael. “You hate my food.” 

“I never said I hated it.” He does, but that isn’t the point, the point is that so far he’s managed to avoid actually  _ saying _ that which is a small victory he’s determined to cling to. 

“Why do you keep letting me make dinner!?” 

Raphael wonders briefly if there’s any correct way to get himself out of this, but thankfully the woman who got him into this mess decides to help him out of it, too. 

“Did you miss the part where he loves you, Deary?” The woman repeats. The look of distress on Isabelle’s face fades to something softer, and Raphael smiles a bit as well. 

“I do,” he agrees, not saying the words themselves but allowing that statement to hold the same weight for now. It isn't exactly how he imagined his first declaration of love going, but it's out there now. “And I thought it might get better the more you did it but… that theory isn’t exactly panning out.” 

Izzy lets out a ‘humph’ noise. 

“Well, now that you know… how much would you despise me if I asked to go back and see what I can do to fix the stew?” Raphael asks Izzy. 

“You think you can fix it?” Izzy asks hopefully. 

“He certainly can’t make it worse,” the woman cuts in. 

“Alright, Susan, I think you’ve made your point. Come back in an hour and we’ll see what we have for you,” Raphael suggests gently, and the woman takes the hint and heads off. 

“I guess I should go, too. I imagine I’ve done enough damage for one day,” Izzy sighs. 

“Or,” Raphael suggests. “You could stay, and we can do the rest together?” 

Izzy brightens. “You still want my help?” 

“Of course I do.” Raphael reaches out and takes her hands in his, giving them a reassuring squeeze. 

“Alright. But only if you do the actual cooking, and I’ll grab or prep whatever you need.” 

“I think we can make that arrangement work,” Raphael laughs as they head back into the kitchen.

He thinks he might get away without what Susan said coming back up, but before they reach the door Isabelle asks, "Did you mean what you said? About... you know. What Susan said?" Isabelle asks, careful not to say it herself just in case. 

"I did. I love you, Isabelle - good intentions, bad cooking, and all." 

Isabelle hits him lightly on the arm but smiles. "Good, because I love you too." 

Suddenly Raphael's quite glad he allowed Izzy to stay and cook, even if he _is_ the only one. 

**Author's Note:**

> (Find me on [Tumblr](http://bytheangell.tumblr.com) and also on [Twitter](http://www.twitter.com/By_The_Angell)! <3 )


End file.
